


the sight, the sound

by isthepartyover



Category: Dimension 20 (Web Series), Fantasy High
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Insecurity, M/M, Rescue Missions, Welcome, i have no context but a few vauge liveblogs but here i am writing s2 fic, this is my trash pile
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2021-01-04 09:03:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21195113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isthepartyover/pseuds/isthepartyover
Summary: “Stupid. Can’t even figure out how to escape some enchanted manacles, what kind of rogue are you?” the silvery voice whispered into Riz’s head, words aching like knives in his brain, the hundreds of reflections in the mirrors around him grinning cruelly as they mouthed the words.





	the sight, the sound

**Author's Note:**

> forewarning that i finished s1 last night and only know a few vauge things about s2 so here we go

“ _ Stupid _ . Can’t even figure out how to escape some enchanted manacles, what kind of rogue are you?” the silvery voice whispered into Riz’s head, words aching like knives in his brain, the hundreds of reflections in the mirrors around him grinning cruelly as they mouthed the words.

“Shu’ up.” Everything hurts, throbbing in unison with the pounding of his heart and the churn of his stomach, electricity from the fucking enchanted manacles holding him by his wrists and ankles still racing through him, holding him tense and exhausted at the same time.

“Nobody likes crazy little Riz Gukgak, do they? None of them actually want you around, do they? They haven’t come yet, how long have you been here?”

“Th’y’re comin’, Ma w’ldn’t...” the words are slurred, labored with how strung out and worn down he was, but Riz forces them out, needs to convince himself-

“Five days? Four? Longer? So hard to tell, and everyone has other things to focus on. Always me reaching out, always me trying to invent some quest or conspiracy, turned down time and time again. Didn’t want to bother anyone with my suspicions about the crown but I was _ right _ , and now I’m here,  _ alone _ , and they're not coming because they realize how much  _ better _ their lives are without me.”

Riz keeps quiet, focusing his little energy into screwing his eyes shut instead, trying to block out the mirror-selves, even knowing it was futile as the voice spoke again, right into his aching mind, prying his deepest insecurities and fears out of him.

“Mom has Gorthalax, she doesn’t need me around, everyone else has family stuff, they don’t have time for mysteries, for me, especially-”

“No-” Riz can’t let it continue, can’t think about that right now, but the terrible reflections look even more sinister, like they know the prize they have, and continue in a sickening croon.

“ _ Fabian, _ oh, why can’t he see me, why won’t he want me, he’s so wonderful and perfect and strong and brave and then there’s little crazy Riz, he’d never look at me twice, now he has girls falling over him left and right, now he doesn’t have to worry about watching over the pathetic little ball.”

“ _ Stop.” _ Riz can feel the tears on his face again, knows he’s pleading with the voice, begging even, futilely, and he can’t make it stop, it just keeps going and-

“It’s the  _ truth _ .” the voice whispers, a shock coursing through him as Riz begins to list forward, the manacles almost burning with energy as he shakes.

The crown on his head throbs, and Riz heaves.

***

Fabian paces, looking between his crystal and the strange mirror they’d found in Riz’s office every handful of minutes, trying to force himself to be calm, to put his head on straight, to do what Riz would do.

Of course, that was hard to do when he was so on edge with worry that  _ everything _ bothered him, from Kristen’s eyes watching him to the rhythmic snapping of Fig’s gum and Gorgug’s tapping, Adaine the only blessed reprieve of the group as she was deep in meditation.

“Okay, that’s  _ enough _ .” Fabian finally snaps, storming over to the covered mirror and reaching to rip Riz’s old jacket that they’d hastily wrapped it in off.

“Whoa, whoa, what are you doing?!” Fig practically shrieks, and Fabian finds himself held back by what can only be Gorgug.

“Let-Get off!” Fabian hisses, kicking back hard enough that Gorgug whines and drops him, whirling around to glare at his friends. “I am going  _ in there _ to find The Ball, and I will return with him safe, or I will not return at all!”

“But that creepy little anti-him!” Kristen argued, looking nervous as she looked between Fabian and the mirror.

“Yeah, I definitely do not wanna see that.” Fig winced, shuddering. “I am  _ not  _ down for that horror movie shit.”

“Oh, what do you know?” Fabian snarled, feeling himself start to shake. “You weren’t  _ here _ , you were off  _ gallivanting  _ with your father instead of your  _ friends _ ! And we were  _ scared _ , and  _ worried, _ and you know  _ nothing _ ! Meanwhile, Riz could be  _ hurt _ , or  _ dead _ , and I can’t just  _ sit here _ and-”

“Enough.” Adaine finally says, power in her quiet voice silencing Fabian’s rant, and he feels an otherworldly calm settle on him for a brief moment before he shakes it off, recognizing it as a Calm Emotions.

Even ineffective as it was, he looks around and sees everyone’s faces, shocked and sad and horrified, and suddenly Fabian is ashamed.

“I-I’m sorry, I was-”

“...Nah, you’re right.” Fig interrupts, shaking her head, tugging on her braid. “I wasn’t here, and I feel like fucking shit about it. But I dunno what to do except let Augefort and Sklonda figure  _ something  _ out-”

Just then, the door of the principal’s office slams open, and Sklonda herself steps out, something fierce and feral in her expression as she loads her Arcubus, just like Riz’s when he was on a case.

Augefort himself follows, looking nervous and a little pleased, and Sklonda levels him with a look before turning to the gang of kids in the hallway. “Right. I’m going in, who’s with me?”

“Do we have a plan?” Adaine asks, standing and brushing off her jeans, nervous look returning as she returns more and more back to awareness.

“You’ll help  _ him _ ,” Sklonda says, pointing at their principal, “keep whatever gateway this is open while me and whoever else wants to come get in there and break my  _ fucking son _ out.”

“I’m in.” Fabian announces almost immediately, and Sklonda flashes him that wild smile, the one that he loves on Riz, and it dazes him just long enough to completely miss Kristen and Gorgug offering to stay behind, tuning back in to see Fig’s mouth twisting as she tunes her guitar, everyone else readying themselves for what might step out once they unveil the mirror.

Sklonda is the one who steps forward, who grips the black fabric of the jacket and turns back to the group, waiting for their nods before pulling it off and diving in, Fabian hot on her heels and Fig on his.

They step into a scene from a nightmare, mirrors reflecting in an incomprehensible maze, reflections alternating between them and monstrous twisted versions of themselves and their friends, each more horrifying than the last.

It’s a slog through them, awful and frightening, and Fabian can only think of Riz, somewhere in this terrible place, as he cuts down enemy after enemy wearing familiar faces.

It’s enough to keep him going, even as he feels himself growing weary, pain lacing through him as he fights.

It seems like hours that they force their way though, finally turning a corner and seeing Riz, chained down and vacant, an awfully familiar crown on his head.

Fabian bolts, sword at the ready, watches as arms reach from the mirror and take the crown, Riz letting out the most terrifying, guttural scream as it leaves his head and the mirrors vanish along with it.

Fabian catches him as he falls, noticing out of the corner of his eye that the manacles chaining him down on his knees fade from a glittering gold to a dull steel, most of his attention focused on the goblin in his arms, eyes glazed and unfocused.

“B- _ Riz _ , Riz, can you hear me?” he asks, something twisting in his chest as Riz blinks slowly, seeming not to see him, shaking, sick covering his front and tears starting to flood from his eyes, sunken and sallow in a way he’d only seen on his dad’s enemies.

“Riz!” his mother shrieks, at his side suddenly as well, absolute anguish in her face as Riz stares off into the distance behind her, still crying.

“Fuck!” Fig yells, and Fabian sees her tanned red-tinted skin behind them, looking at the chains still holding the smaller boy. “Goddamnit, I don’t have a lockpick-”

“Let me.” Sklonda says, and Fabian looks up just to see her tear the chains apart with her bare hands, a snarl on her face and fierceness in her eyes as she looks Fabian in the eyes. “Do you have him?”

Fabian nods, gathering Riz’s small body in his arms and holding him close, and something in his eyes must convince Sklonda that her boy is safe with him because she smiles for the first time in the week Riz has been missing, and stands.

Fig stops him before he stands as well, placing sharp fingers on Riz’s paler-than usual skin, and there’s a soft glow before his vacant eyes flutter shut.

“Sleep.” she explains with a wince. “He looks like he needs it, and if it worked with how low I casted that, then it’s fucking necessary.”

“Good idea.” Fabian nods, flashing her a smile, and she shakes her head, standing and waiting for him to do the same.

“You kids ready?” Sklonda asks, and with a nod, the trio charge again towards the one remaining mirror, their bounty safe in Fabian’s arms.

***

Riz drifts.

He’s hurt, he knows that. Some instinctual part of his brain is helping though, keeping him down and fairly out as things happen around him.

He hears some things, though.

His mom speaking with someone nearby whose voice is accompanied by a soothing rumbling, warm and just as familiar, as comforting.

The softness and warmth of his bed, the other voice speaking again without the rumbling, callused hands brushing gently across his cheek before vanishing again.

More voices, excited, loud, jarring, and then silenced just as quickly by the comforting voice.

His mom again, gentle and soft, her bedtime story voice, the press of warmth at his hip.

Riz is content to drift there, listening and feeling, but then comes an itch. Something nagging at him, pulling him away from the softness and calm of sleep, a hook in his brain that won’t let go until he remembers it.

He opens his eyes and groans at the sudden light, the sudden extremity of sensation hitting him at once like a dragon, but before he can give into the urge to close his eyes again and pass out, a voice sounds at his side.

“B-Riz?”

Riz turns his head, disbelieving for a second that it was Fabian Seacaster sounding so shy, so careful, until he sees the boy himself in his ratty desk chair, among his mess of a room.

There’s fear on Fabian’s face for the briefest moment, another emotion Riz doesn’t think he’d seen on Fabian’s face before, before it’s washed away in his friend’s usual bravado-laced smirk. “There you are. Tired of lazing away, are you?”

Riz scoffs at him, trying to raise himself up and surprised again when Fabian shoots up, helps him up and props his pillow up behind him.

“I-uh. What-” he starts, remembering as he speaks the mirrors, the crown, the voice. “Oh.”

“I was actually going to ask you the same thing.” Fabian replies, and then, “Let me get your mother. Oh, and the others, I suppose.”

Riz feels a sudden surge of fear, anxiety gripping him in a way it never had before, and he almost calls out after Fabian not to do so but  _ can’t _ , instead forces himself to stay composed, stay calm.

His mom rushes in first, and that’s okay, that’s bearable, because she’s hugging him just as she’s done before when he was small, or when he was afraid or sad or something crazy was happening, and she’s not asking questions yet so Riz buries his head into her shoulder and breathes.

But then comes Adaine and Fig and Kristen and Gorgug and it’s Loud and they’re asking what happened and Riz still aches, still is on edge, so he addresses his answers to his mom’s shoulder, appreciating how quiet they all go at his voice.

“I was-The Nightmare King’s crown, it was at prom, yeah? And I was looking into it, and I found something weird in Dad’s files, something about a mirror and the crown and how it feeds on memories and fear, and how it was dangerous and how he’d hidden it away, and I-”

“You went looking for it, didn’t you?” his mom asks, wryly, and sighs when he nods. “Well, can’t say I’m surprised.”

Riz grunts in reply, and she ruffles his hair and presses a kiss to it. “You’re okay now, kiddo. I’ll take it from here, okay?”

_ Stupid. Can’t solve anything without help _ .

Riz scrunches his eyes closed, feeling his breath get heavy, but his mom doesn’t seem to notice, standing and moving out of the room. “C’mon, there’s food in the kitchen still for you kids. Riz, you’ve gotta be hungry, c’mon.”

He can’t move, the pressure in his chest feeling suddenly too intense, and he can’t help but blurt out, “How long was I gone?”

There’s a silence, and then Fabian’s voice, soft, closer than expected, “Seven days.”

The response makes him nauseated again, and he quietly gasps for air as he asks, wincing at the cracking of his voice, “A-a-and...and did you-were you looking for me?”

“Of course we were.” Adaine says, soft, reassuring, gently. “We were worried.”

“Fabian especially.” Gorgug says, brightly as always, and the soft ‘ow!’ that follows makes Riz open his eyes again.

Fabian’s kneeling at his side like some sort of fairy tale prince, image only ruined by the scowl he’s still giving Gorgug, who’s frowning and rubbing his arm but smiles when he notices Riz looking.

Fig and Kristen are next to him, looking like they’d like to be closer but can’t with the small space of the room, and Adaine is perched gracefully on the side of his bed.

They’re all here, and they’re watching him in a way Riz had never felt before, too used to slipping into the shadows and being unseen, and it’s both unnerving and pleasant in a way he’s still a little too overloaded to handle.

But then Fabian turns back to him, grinning, so beautiful and genuine and caring just like the rest of them, and when he asks, “You’re okay, right, The Ball?” Riz can honestly answer.

“Yeah. I’m okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> come cry w me at flipwizardmcgay on tumblr


End file.
